When I Come Around
by ohsorandom
Summary: Gordo comes to terms with some issues. How will he tell his best friends, Lizzie, Ethan, and Miranda? And how will they react?
1. Where It All Started

disclaimer: don't own anything  
  
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Gordo sat, looking at his hands. He was alone in his room. He couldn't believe it. He had just masturbated. That's not what surprised him. When he did it, he was thinking about a guy.  
  
He was disgusted with himself. He was in love with Lizzie, this was wrong. He should be thinking about her. They had been dating since they were freshman, after the accident.  
  
--flashback--  
  
  
  
Miranda and Ethan sat in the seat right behind the bus driver, kissing passionatly. Over the summer, they had grown close, as Miranda had transformed from his tutor to his girlfriend. She had grown, both physically and mentally. Her hair fell down her black like a long, straight waterfall, flowing down to her butt. Her low-rider pants showed a hint of her bright pink thong. She had Ethan's jacket wrapped around her, and her hand on his thigh. Across from Miranda, Ethan had become an intellectual. He was now an honor student, and as he had become smarter, he had slowly fallen for Miranda. Kate, on the other hand, sat behind them with her best friend, disgusted at what she saw. "Aww, it's Miranda and Ethan. So, Miranda, are you planning to get laid this weekend?" Miranda turned around.  
  
"Baby, ignore her," Ethan whispered in her ear.  
  
"No, I'm done ignoring her. Listen Kate, just because you're jealous-"  
  
"Jealous? Muah? Hah, you have got to be joking."  
  
"You know what, I don't have to deal with this. Or you." She turned back around. Ethan put his arm around her, and comforted her with his words, now intelligent and beautiful. Miranda stared out into the black abyss. "I wish Lizzie and Gordo could have come."  
  
"I know, this ski trip is going to be so fun!"  
  
Miranda sighed. "I'm freezing."  
  
"I think we're almost there."  
  
The road was dark. Twisting and turning, the bright yellow schoolbus slowly climbed the mountains. In minutes, it was over. The bus was crashed into the side of the mountain wall.  
  
--end flashback--  
  
Gordo felt so ashamed.All his classmates laid in those hospital beds for nearly a month. That should have been him. He didn't want to be this way anymore. after Lizzie had come to her senses, he had too. He kept it all inside. He really, truly did love her, but this had been going on long enough. He couldn't lie anymore.  
  
--flashback--  
  
"Lizzie?" Gordo saw a small, feminine figure, hunched over her pillow, shaking. "Are you okay?"  
  
"No gordo, we should have been with them." Her face was tear-stricken. "Miranda and Ethan are our best friends. Why did this happen to them?"  
  
Gordo sat down next to Lizzie on her bed, and put his arm around her. "It's going to be alright. The doctor's said they were stable and they will be out in a couple of weeks."  
  
"But think about it," she said, calming herself. "They might never be the same. what if they lost their memory. They will forget all they had together. Ethan might go back to the way he was, and nothing will be the same. And what about Kate? She's gone forever."  
  
"I know, it's hard. But Miranda and Ethan, our best friends, are alive. We still have each other." He softly put his hand on top of hers. She looked at him and managed a smile.  
  
--end flashback--  
  
The phone ringing awoke Gordo from his daydream. He wiped away the tear he hadn't even realized was falling from his face. "Hello," his cracking voice answered.  
  
"Hey Gordo. It's Lizzie." 


	2. At the Movies

disclaimer: don't own anything  
  
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"Oh, hey. Whatsup?"  
  
"Nothing. I just felt like calling. Summer vacation is over in a week you know."  
  
"Yea, I know."  
  
"Look, Miranda wanted me to ask you something and it's sort of embarassing."  
  
"Yea?"  
  
Lizzie paused. "Are you okay? You sound sort of shaken."  
  
"I'm fine. What do you wanna ask?"  
  
"Okay, Miranda thinks Ethan wants to get back together so she told me...oh god this is so embarassing. She asked me if we could, maybe, 'accidently' run into each other at the movies?"  
  
He sighed. "Maybe, what time where you thinking."  
  
"Maybe an 8:00 movie."  
  
"I'll ask. But you know, I don't know if it's gonna happen after what she did."  
  
"She was drunk."  
  
--flashback--  
  
"Lizzie, get me another one." Miranda's words were slurred together.  
  
"I think you've had enough Miranda. Let's just go." Miranda all of a sudden got an angry look on her face.  
  
"You're not my mom, Lizzie!" She burst out laughing and flung her arms around Lizzie, who tried to jerk away but was unsucsessful. "You're so great! I love you!"  
  
"Yea, yea, you too Miranda. Look, we should go. It's getting late."  
  
"No." She burped and laughed again. "See that guy over there?" she pointed in several directions, but finally was able to point at him. "I'm gonna get laid tonight Lizzie."  
  
"No, we're leaving."  
  
"I hate being a virgin!"  
  
"It's not so bad."  
  
"Oh come on, you and Gordo did it like a long time ago!" She was laughing and yelling all at the same time.  
  
"Miranda!" Lizzie said under her breathe. "Shh, the whole school doesnt need to know!"  
  
"Oh sweetie, they already do. Now, let's go talk to that guy."  
  
"What about Ethan?"  
  
"What about him?"  
  
--end flashback--  
  
"Yea, sure Gordo. What movie."  
  
"We'll see whichever ones are playing."  
  
"Okay. I'll pick you up." Ethan hung up the phone. Gordo slung a jacket over his shoulder and walked downstairs. "Hey dad."  
  
"Hey son." His father sat in his boxers, reclined in his favorite chair with a beer and a back of Cheez-O's. "What's going on tonight?"  
  
"Movies."  
  
"With Lizzie?"  
  
"Ethan."  
  
"Ah. Well, be home by two."  
  
"Sure dad."  
  
-----------  
  
"Oh god Gordo, hide me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's Lizzie and Miranda!"  
  
"Oh. Let's say hi."  
  
"In case you forgot, Miranda and I are sort of in an akward phase right now."  
  
"Oh come on, you know you still love her."  
  
"Yes sure, but she fucked Brian Anderson!"  
  
"Everybody has. Besides, she wanted to be good for you. That's why she did it."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They slowly made their way over. Miranda and Lizzie sat tall in their chairs at the food court. Lizzie's blond curly hair tumbled down her back, and Miranda's, still down to her waist, hung straight. Lizzie's face was a mature looking one, with eyes filled with wisdom. Miranda's eyes were always open wide, brown and big, like a puppy's. "Oh, it's Gordo and Ethan!" Lizzie said, pretending to be surprised. "Hey sweetie!" She kissed Gordo, but he pulled away before anything happened. She shrugged it off, even though this had been happening quite often lately.  
  
"Hi, Gordo." Miranda kissed him on the cheek, and looked at Ethan and smiled. They all sat down. "So, what are you guys going to see?"  
  
"Oh just that new Jackie Chan movie."  
  
"Oh god, us too! Neat." Ethan and Miranda couldn't keep their eyes off each other. 


	3. Tell Me The Truth

disclaimer: don't own anything  
  
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The night went successfully, and by the end of the movie, Miranda and Ethan were back to old habits. Tongues entwined they found each other again.  
  
Lizzie, on the other hand, wasn't even holding Gordo's hand. He didn't want to do anything with her anymore. Ever since they had sex, he had been distant and weird. He leaned over and whispered, "I made a movie with the exact same plot as this."  
  
"Love triangle, Gordo? Everyone makes those."  
  
"I guess. Popcorn?" She shook her head and her long blond hair, about an inch longer then Miranda's, shook also. She drifted off into her own state of mind. What was up with Gordo? Was he scared of moving to the next level? Was something wrong at home? She remembered the morning she had woken up next to Gordo.  
  
--flashback--  
  
  
  
The rain was falling hard that morning. It was strange for it to rain in June, but she loved the rain, so she didn't complain. She opened her eyes to a dark room. Her room. Her parents were at her younger brother's soccer tournament in San Francisco and she had the house to herself. He rolled her head sideways and saw Gordo. His long brown hair hung over his eyes. His eyes, with his long eyelashes, were closed and his chest rose up and down with every breath. She whispered, "I love him," quietly to herself.  
  
--end flashback--  
  
Had Gordo heard her? Is that why he was acting so strange? Maybe. But she had to know. She would talk to him later.  
  
The movie was over. Lizzie snapped out of her thought, and realized this. She followed the other three out of the theater.  
  
"Yo Gordo, I'm taking Miranda home. Lizzie can drive you, right?"  
  
"Yea sure man. Have fun." He smiled at Ethan, and Ethan playfully punched him in the arm.  
  
"You bet." He ran off.  
  
---------------------------  
  
"Hey, do you think I could come up?"  
  
"Tonight...isn't really good for me Lizzie. I have a cough and I don't wanna give it to you."  
  
"No, not that. I just wanna talk." His straight brown hair covered his eyebrows, and half of his eyes. It flipped out right by the ears. He looked like Jimmy Fallon with his longer hair. His eyes were the deepest Lizzie had ever looked into. He was so beautiful.  
  
"Yea, sure, I guess." He was reluctant, but finally let her in.  
  
They tiptoed up the stairs and finally reached Gordo's room. "What is it you wanted to talk about."  
  
"About us."  
  
"What about us?"  
  
"Okay, not us mostly, you."  
  
"Okay...what about me."  
  
"What has been up with you lately? You never want to do anything anymore."  
  
"I guess I'm having a mid-teen crisis."  
  
"Gordo, this isn't a joke. There's something going on and i want you to tell me."  
  
He sat and threw his keys on his desk, abruptly waking his father next door. "I know it's not a joke Lizzie. I just can't tell you."  
  
"You can tell me anything." She sat next to him and grabbed his hand. "Is it me? Are you not attracted to me? Is it the sex?"  
  
"It's all of those things."  
  
"You're not attracted to me? What is it? Am I fat?"  
  
"No, no, of course not. You're beautiful."  
  
"You're not making any sense. Am I not your type?"  
  
"I guess you could say that." Tears streaked down her face. He grasped her hand tighter. "Look, if I tell you, you will hate me, and I really don't want that."  
  
"Why? Are you cheating on me?"  
  
"Never."  
  
"Do you love me."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then... what is it? You're confusing me Gordo."  
  
"I...I can't..." He started to cry too. "I can't tell you."  
  
"You can tell me anything, Gordo."  
  
"Not this."  
  
"Who can you tell?"  
  
"No one."  
  
"Is someone hurting you? Is it your dad? He wouldn't do that!"  
  
"No, no one is doing anything to me. It's my fault. I don't want to drag you into this."  
  
"Are you...gay?"  
  
He didn't answer. She stood up and held her hand to her mouth. "You are."  
  
"I didn't want to tell you. Now you hate me."  
  
Lizzie looked at him for a while, and then grabbed her purse and ran downstairs. Gordo started to cry louder, and next door, his father sat with a mouth wide open. 


	4. Please Stop It

disclaimer: don't own anything  
  
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It was bad enough that Gordo's dad told him he loved him every five minutes now, but school was torture. Lizzie had only told Miranda and Ethan, he could tell. No one looked at him differently then before. At lunch he sat with some other friends, and he knew they didn't know anything. He hadn't spoken to Lizzie since the incident. Both Miranda and Ethan had called.   
  
--flashback--  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Gordo? It's Miranda."  
  
"Oh, hey." Gordo twirled the phone chord around his finger, as he sat downstairs at the kitchen table. It was Sunday morning, and his father folded back a corner of the paper to look at his son.  
  
"Look, um, Lizzie told me-"  
  
"I really don't wanna talk about this."  
  
"I do. Gordo, you know you can talk to me anytime you feel down. I don't hate, in fact, I love you and I'm always there for you to talk to if you feel really bad."  
  
"Thanks Miranda, but theres really nothing to talk about."  
  
"Okay."  
  
--end flashback--  
  
  
  
Five minutes later Ethan had called, with a much similar call. It had been a month since he told Lizzie, and she hadn;t talked to him since. He now experienced highs and lows all the time. The only time he had highs were when he was home alone and could forget his troubles. He hadn't made a movie since the break-up, and that was probably part of his problem. He had won a junior film-festival last year, and $1000 towards his next movie. That money sat in the bank, slowly but surley gaining interest. He hadn't gone online in a month, and his friends who didn't know were trying to figure out what was wrong. His dad tried to take him out to dinner, to talk to him about his love-life, and other things too. "So, any guys you've been hanging around with Gordo?"  
  
"Just the usual."  
  
"Ah." That was the premisis of all their conversations these days.  
  
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Slowly, Gordo climbed the stairs to the top of the highest building in town. He wanted it to be over. He wanted it to be done. He was going to kill himself.  
  
At the top of the building he stood, looking down. It wasn't the highest building in the world, but he figured it would do.   
  
He couldn't get himself to do it. He looked down and down and down. He saw a crowd of people looking up at him, and before long, the police. "Shit," he whispered to himself when he saw a young police-man pull out his megaphone.  
  
"Are you alright, son?" Gordo didn't answer. He just kept looking down. He heard in the distance the school bell ring. Well, he thought to himself, I better get this overwith before anyone I know sees me. He climbed up to the ledge. "Son, please, get down. What do you want? I'll give you anything you want. Just climb down."  
  
"I want to die!" Gordo screamed.  
  
"Gordo!" He saw Miranda, Lizzie, and Ethan standing side by side. Miranda yelled again. "Gordo?! What the fuck are you doing?"  
  
"What does it look like!?"  
  
"Come down! You're scaring me!" The policeman pulled the three away, and Miranda's confused look turned into anger and sadness.   
  
"Son, please, just step down and let's talk about this."  
  
"Lets not." He took another step, and heard a scream and gasps. "There's nothing for me to live for."  
  
"Just, step down. We're gonna send someone up."  
  
"You better not or I'll jump I swear."  
  
"Gordo! Please!" Miranda had some how loosened herself from the policeman's grip and started running up the stairs. He sighed, and stepped backwards. 


	5. Talk To Me

disclaimer: don't own anything  
  
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Miranda jerked Gordo around and hugged him. "Don't fucking scare me like that!"  
  
"I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"What did you mean to do?"  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"But why Gordo?"  
  
"I think it's pretty obvious. My best friend hates me."  
  
"Lizzie doesn't hate you. She was just...surprised."  
  
"I don't believe you. She didn't talk to me for a month."  
  
"Well, you do understand why, right?"  
  
"Yea sure I do. She hate's me."  
  
"No she doesn't!" Miranda pulled him away from the ledge and towards the middle of the buiding, and they plopped down. Miranda pulled her hair back into a long ponytail and grabbed Gordo's hand. "Now, we're gonna sit here untill you're ready to go back down."  
  
"I can't go back down now."  
  
"Exactly, and we're gonna talk untill you can."  
  
So they talked for a minute, then ten minutes, then an hour, then two hours. "...and then when you called and you said you would be there for me..." They were leaned up against a large structure in the middle of the building and Miranda had one arm around Gordo and one holding his hand.  
  
"Mm hm." She listened to all his worries and his stories and didn't talk, only nodded and mm hmed along. Another hour passed, and it was dark. Gordo looked up and saw Lizzie standing in the dark doorway to the roof.  
  
"Miranda? Your mom called she wants you to come home." Miranda nodded and left. Lizze came and sat by Gordo. "You know Gordo, I feel really bad." She sighed. "I didn't want you to think i hated you but i couldn't deal with it. I'm sorry."  
  
"I know. You can hate me it's okay."  
  
"I don't hate you Gordo! I love you and nothing you say will ever change that." He sniffed and looked at her. "I was just, surprised. I think I knew all along and i didn't want to accept it. But, I want you to forgive me for treating you so horribly and come downstairs."  
  
Gordo was a able to manage a smirk out of the corner of his mouth. "But i can't deal with this. It's just as hard for me as it is for you."  
  
"It's harder for you. This doesn't affect me in the same way as it does you. And that's why you need me there by your side the whole time."  
  
"That might help." He stood up and wiped the dirt off his pants. They hugged, and walked slowly down the stairs.  
  
--the end--  
  
how was it? R&R please and tell me. if the reviews are good ill make a sequel with a lil gordo-lovin. ha. 


End file.
